Community Policing Initiative
 

 
The Swansea Police Department Bike Patrol has been very effective in crime prevention and community policing.  The Bike Patrol is primarily utilized in the Ocean Grove and Smokerise area as well as the Rt 6 and Rt 118 Business District.  The officers who ride the mountain bikes have been through State Training and certified through the C.O.B.W.E.B. Program.  This means:  "Cops On Bikes With Educated Bicyclists".  The Mt. Bike Patrol is currently being used and is highly talked about among the community.  Mobile Deployment (Bike on the rear of the police cruiser) is highly effective.  Since the town is 25 sq. miles and there is a lot of area to cover, this type of patrol becomes highly effective.  The police offer can dismount the bike at anytime, pedal throughout the neighborhoods, plaza's, and off road paths.  By doing this, the police officer is getting in shape, but also using their 4 senses:  seeing all around you, hearing, smelling and feeling the environment around them.  Here is where the officer can observe a lot of things that he or she cannot in the police cruiser.  Also, the officer is closer to the people, where the sense of community interaction takes place with the public.  This is ALSO a good role model for the children in the town.  Police on bikes can educate the safety aspects of bicycle safety and educate them how the police officer uses his bike on the job.

The low use of safety belts was a major factor in the 477 fatalities and more than 91,000 injuries and $6.3 billion in economic costs associated with motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts in 2001.
Since safety belts reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash by up to 50% we can improve highway safety in Massachusetts by getting more people to buckle up with our Click It or Ticket Campaign.
The goal of the campaign is to increase the safety belt use in Massachusetts to 65% in 2004.  Currently our safety belt use rate is 62%, as compared to the national average rate of 79%.

The Park, Walk, and Talk [PWT] Program is a program where officers park their police units and either walk or ride their bicycles through an assigned area.  This is particularly effective at the Swansea Mall and Business District during the holiday season.  Officers make contact with the residents and other citizens and answer any questions they may have.  The park, walk, and talk program has been successful in deterring breaks into cars, stolen cars and shoplifters during the busy Christmas season